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1.97k reviews for:
El Emperador de Todos Los Males / The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Siddharth Mukherjee
4.33 AVERAGE
1.97k reviews for:
El Emperador de Todos Los Males / The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Siddharth Mukherjee
4.33 AVERAGE
Intensely readable, powerful and remarkable! One of the best books I've read so far.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
This is more a history of the war against cancer than a biography of cancer itself. I was initially skeptical this would lend itself to understanding the biological components, but learning about paradigms in the order they were discovered was surprisingly helpful.
Notes:
- As a child of the modern era, I always 'knew' that cancers were drastically different diseases and there was no silver bullet or true cure. I didn't realize that in the 60s and 70s people really believed a cure for all cancer was around the corner.
- Leukemia has been very important to the study of cancer because of its unique status as a liquid cancer. It's a lot easier to see and measure.
Notes:
- As a child of the modern era, I always 'knew' that cancers were drastically different diseases and there was no silver bullet or true cure. I didn't realize that in the 60s and 70s people really believed a cure for all cancer was around the corner.
- Leukemia has been very important to the study of cancer because of its unique status as a liquid cancer. It's a lot easier to see and measure.
informative
slow-paced
I tried to finish this book twice, but there is just so much information and I finally had to admit it was simply too comprehensive for me. Cancer is a terrifying and diverse group of body invaders and I learned a lot. The historic (anthropological) evidence of cancer through the ages was fascinating, and the research journey is inspiring. The book is well-written and I honestly don’t even see where the author could have cut anything out since he set out to write a biography of cancer, but it did feel wordy and unfortunately boring at times. Perhaps more personal stories interspersed with the research information— those were definitely bright spots in the book. Or maybe just a few fewer details about the nitty grittys of research, but like mentioned, I wouldn’t even know what to cut out. So conclusion is, too long for me but a very comprehensive biography of this terrifying/ fascinating disease family that we still don’t understand completely - although so much progress has been made and there is definitely hope to be found.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
I was longing to read/ listen to this popular but hard to find book. Unfortunately I found it very challenging due to usage of a lot of medical jargons.
I did find it informative but a bit biased to a broadly US narrative. There may have been a lot of researchers involved in finding a cure for cancer or developing ways to do early detection outside the United States, but the author mainly focussed on the R&D done by particular groups and state run departments in the US. It is possible they may have had the upper hand because the fight against cancer coincided with the rise of USA as an economic powerhouse.
This, however, does not make it a bad book. Give this book a read if you are a medical student or researcher wanting to learn more about the history of cancer and humanity's fight against it.
I did find it informative but a bit biased to a broadly US narrative. There may have been a lot of researchers involved in finding a cure for cancer or developing ways to do early detection outside the United States, but the author mainly focussed on the R&D done by particular groups and state run departments in the US. It is possible they may have had the upper hand because the fight against cancer coincided with the rise of USA as an economic powerhouse.
This, however, does not make it a bad book. Give this book a read if you are a medical student or researcher wanting to learn more about the history of cancer and humanity's fight against it.
4.5 stars. Great read and really paints a picture of the struggle against cancer.
One topic severely lacking is any mention at all of Henrietta Lacks and the HELA cell line which was pivotal in allowing cell cultures to exist. HELA allowed for the connection between the HPV virus and cervical cancer to be uncovered. Needed a chapter on this if we are going to capture the history of this disease.
One topic severely lacking is any mention at all of Henrietta Lacks and the HELA cell line which was pivotal in allowing cell cultures to exist. HELA allowed for the connection between the HPV virus and cervical cancer to be uncovered. Needed a chapter on this if we are going to capture the history of this disease.
Took me a lot to read this book. Not because is boring but scientific non-fiction can be heavy to read and i had some difficult couple of months.
It is a good book. Gives a history of cancer, since the first instances that we notice it, name it until 2010 ish (don't say nowadays since 14 years make a difference in science). All the knowledge we have builded to understand and fight cancer. It is science heavy but the author explain the terms in a easy to understand way. Doesn't shy away from the mistakes and inside fight between surgeons, scientists, politics, etc. But also shows the perseverance and mutual aid of investigation.
And is very compassionate about the patients that are talked about in the book.
I recomend the book if it is a topic you are interested about.
It is a good book. Gives a history of cancer, since the first instances that we notice it, name it until 2010 ish (don't say nowadays since 14 years make a difference in science). All the knowledge we have builded to understand and fight cancer. It is science heavy but the author explain the terms in a easy to understand way. Doesn't shy away from the mistakes and inside fight between surgeons, scientists, politics, etc. But also shows the perseverance and mutual aid of investigation.
And is very compassionate about the patients that are talked about in the book.
I recomend the book if it is a topic you are interested about.